UNCONFIRMED MINUTES
OF THE POLICY
REVIEW COMMITTEE MEETING OF PENRITH CITY COUNCIL HELD REMOTELY USING AUDIO
VISUAL LINKS, AUDIO STREAMED ON THE COUNCIL WEBSITE AND IN THE PASSADENA ROOM,
PENRITH
ON MONDAY 1
DECEMBER 2025 AT 7:00 PM
WEBCASTING STATEMENT
His Worship the Mayor,
Councillor Todd Carney read a statement advising that Council Meetings are
recorded and webcast.
PRESENT – IN PERSON
His Worship the Mayor, Councillor Todd Carney, Deputy Mayor,
Councillor Garion Thain and Councillors Kirstie Boerst, Robin Cook, Sue Day, Ross
Fowler OAM, Glenn Gardiner, Sabbie Kaur, Edwin Mifsud, Reece Nuttall, Vanessa
Pollak, Faithe Skinner and John Thain.
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APOLOGIES
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20 RESOLVED
on the MOTION of Councillor Garion Thain seconded Councillor Ross Fowler OAM
that the apologies received from Councillor Libby Austin and Councillor
Hollie McLean be accepted.
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CONFIRMATION
OF MINUTES - Policy Review Committee Meeting - 13 October 2025
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21 RESOLVED
on the MOTION of Councillor Reece Nuttall seconded Councillor Garion Thain that
the minutes of the Policy Review Committee Meeting of 13 October 2025 be
confirmed.
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DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST
Councillor Sue Day declared a Non-Pecuniary Conflict of
Interest – Less than Significant in Item 2 - Children's Services
Cooperative, as she is on the Children’s Services Cooperative Board
as Council’s representative. Councillor Sue Day stated that she would
leave
the meeting during consideration of this item and would not
take part in voting or discussion
on this item.
Councillor Kirstie Boerst declared a Non-Pecuniary Conflict
of Interest – Less than Significant in Item 1 - PP&VA Annual
Report 2024-25 and update, as she is on the Penrith
Performing and Visual Arts Board as Council’s representative. Councillor Kirstie
Boerst stated that she would leave the meeting during consideration of this
item and would not take part in voting or discussion on this item.
Councillor Robin Cook declared a Non-Pecuniary Conflict of
Interest – Significant in Item 1 - PP&VA Annual Report 2024-25 and
update, as she is on the Penrith Performing and Visual Arts Board as
Council’s representative. Councillor Robin Cook stated that she would
leave the meeting during consideration of this item and would not take part in
voting or discussion on this item.
Councillor Ross Fowler OAM declared a Non-Pecuniary Conflict
of Interest – Significant in Item 1 - PP&VA Annual Report 2024-25
and update, as he is on the Penrith Performing and Visual Arts Board
as Council’s representative. Councillor Ross Fowler OAM stated that he
would leave the meeting during consideration of this item and would not take
part in voting or discussion on this item.
Councillor Ross Fowler OAM declared a Non-Pecuniary Conflict
of Interest – Significant in Item 2 - Children's Services Cooperative,
as he is on the Children’s Services Cooperative Board as
Council’s representative. Councillor Ross Fowler OAM stated that he would
leave the meeting during consideration of this item and would not take part in
voting or discussion on this item.
Councillor Vanessa Pollak declared a Non-Pecuniary Conflict
of Interest – Significant in Item 2 - Children's Services Cooperative,
as she is on the Children’s Services Cooperative Board as Council’s
representative. Councillor Vanessa Pollak stated that she would leave the
meeting during consideration of this item and would not take part in voting or
discussion on this item.
DELIVERY PROGRAM REPORTS
Having previously declared a Non-Pecuniary Conflict of
Interest – Less than Significant in Item 1, Councillors Robin Cook,
Kirstie Boerst and Ross Fowler OAM left the meeting, the time being 7:03pm.
Strategic
Direction 2 - Support our wellbeing
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1 PP&VA
Annual Report 2024-25 and update
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22 RESOLVED on the MOTION of
Councillor John Thain seconded Councillor Reece Nuttall
That:
1. The
information contained in the report on PP&VA Annual Report 2024-25 and
update be received.
2. Council
continues to underwrite the operations of Penrith Performing and Visual Arts
Ltd up to the presentation of their 2027-28 Annual Report.
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Councillors Robin Cook and Kirstie Boerst returned to the
meeting, the time being 7:30pm.
Having previously declared a Non-Pecuniary Conflict of
Interest – Less than Significant in Item 2, Councillors Vanessa Pollak
and Sue Day left the meeting, the time being 7:31pm.
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2 Children's
Services Cooperative
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23
RESOLVED on the MOTION of Councillor Garion Thain seconded Councillor Reece
Nuttall
That:
1. The information contained in the report on Penrith
City Council Children's Services Cooperative Ltd be received.
2. Council
underwrites the operations of the Penrith City Council Children's Services
Cooperative Ltd until the presentation to Council of the Penrith City
Children’s Services Cooperative Ltd Annual Report for 2025-26.
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Councillors Vanessa Pollak, Sue Day and Ross Fowler OAM
returned to the meeting, the time being 7:49pm.
There being no further business the Chairperson declared the
meeting closed the time being 7:50pm.
Policy
and Strategy Committee Meeting 9
February 2026
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1
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Draft submission in response
to the NSW Government's Draft Sydney Plan, New Approach to Strategic Planning
Discussion Paper and draft Statewide Industrial Lands
Policy
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Compiled by: Fiona
McDermott, City Strategy Lead
Elizabeth
Hanlon, Executive Planner - City Strategy
Marianna
Kucic, Executive Planner - Urban Strategy
Megan
Whittaker, Strategic Advocacy Manager
Authorised
by: Carlie
Ryan, Head of City Strategy
Kylie
Powell, Director Futures and Strategy
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Outcome
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Shape our growing city
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Strategy
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Harness opportunities to boost liveability through
advocacy and collaboration
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Principal Activity
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Advocate for and influence state planning policies
and legislation to ensure the best results for our city and community
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Executive Summary
This report seeks Council’s consideration of a draft
submission, attached, to the NSW Government in response to strategic planning
documents currently on public exhibition: the draft Sydney Plan, New Approach
to Strategic Planning Discussion Paper and draft Statewide Industrial Lands
Policy. In particular, the draft Sydney Plan which has a 20 year horizon aims
to replace the Greater Sydney Region Plan, the Metropolis of Three Cities from
2018, by giving direction on where future homes and jobs should be located and
aligning growth with infrastructure. Meanwhile, the draft Statewide Industrial
Lands Policy is designed to protect and better manage industrial land.
A summary of the draft submission will be presented to
Councillors for consideration at the Committee meeting. Council staff have
prepared the attached submission in line with existing Council strategies and
plans such as the Local Housing Strategy, Advocacy Strategy, Employment Lands
Strategy, St Marys Town Centre Master Plan and Local Strategic Planning
Statement (LSPS). The submission reinforces Council’s commitment to
sustainable well managed urban growth, community involvement in planning,
timely infrastructure delivery and balanced flood planning. Council is already
largely consistent with the new strategic planning approach put forward by the
NSW Government, meaning that it is unlikely to result in major changes to how
Council currently plans its City.
The submission is generally supportive of the intention of
the approach to strategic planning, and actions outlined in the draft Sydney
Plan noting strong alignment with Council’s own strategies and plans to
improve liveability, productivity and resilience. The submission highlights the
challenge of funding the critical infrastructure and facilities required to
meet the needs of a growing city and notes Council will be required to
implement key actions and reviews of planning instruments within the next five
years.
While supportive, the submission notes the draft plan in its
current form is extremely high level and would benefit from further detail to
guide future land use planning and investment sequencing, particularly for
significant sites in Penrith LGA. The submission also notes that major
transport commitments and infrastructure priorities critical to the prosperity
of Western Sydney, including city shaping commitments under the Western Sydney
City Deal like delivering full length north -south rail, are not clearly
reflected in the draft Plan.
In addition, Council emphasises the importance of resolving
key policy settings that directly influence Penrith LGA growth outcomes,
including the need for a coordinated, and evidence-based approach to flood
planning in the Penrith City Centre, to provide certainty for renewal,
investment and employment growth.
Council’s submission therefore calls for ongoing
consultation with councils and the community as the draft Plan is finalised,
recognising that changes to strategic planning policy can significantly shape
how people live, work and move across Sydney. Council is committed to working
collaboratively with the NSW Government to develop plans and policies that are
fit for purpose and deliver on Council’s Community Strategic Plan and
LSPS.
This report recommends that the submission at Attachment 1
be endorsed by Council and forwarded to the NSW Government for consideration
before the closing date for submissions, 27 February 2026. The Parks (the
Western Parkland Councils) will also prepare a joint submission in the context
of the Western Parkland City, which will be shared with Councillors via
memorandum once finalised. Councillors will continue to be updated on matters
relating to new State and Region Plans as more information becomes available.
Background
On 10 December 2025, the NSW Government released three key
documents for public exhibition on the NSW Planning Portal, with submissions
closing on 27 February 2026. The three documents are part of the
Government’s broader planning reforms, which aim to simplify the planning
system and respond to housing and economic challenges. The new strategic
framework proposes a three-tier hierarchy comprising a State Land Use Plan (not
yet released), regional plans (the first being the draft Sydney Plan) and local
plans. Under this approach, district plans are not proposed to continue as a
separate tier.
The exhibition documents include:
? Draft Sydney Plan: A
20-year vision for land use across 33 local government areas, covering housing,
jobs, infrastructure, sustainability and future growth. Once finalised, it will
become the statutory regional plan for Sydney, replacing the 2018 Metropolis of
Three Cities plan. The current district plans, including the Western City
District Plan for our LGA, will be made redundant.
? Technical appendices: A
series of appendices to the Sydney Plan that contain technical information and
guidance for councils, practitioners and others to support implementation
– including flood planning principles, guidance on investment in open space,
employment guidance for centres, greenfield rezoning principles, and mapping of
the draft urban footprint. The appendices are intended to provide the NSW
Government with a modular structure that allows components to be updated
quickly, without full document revisions.
? A New Approach to
Strategic Planning Discussion Paper: The Paper outlines a simplified strategic
framework for land use across NSW. It provides a glimpse into what we may
expect from the upcoming State Land Use Plan, but the State Land Use Plan has
not yet been released.
? Draft Statewide Policy
for Industrial Lands: The Policy sets out a new approach to securing, managing
and monitoring industrial land supply across NSW. The Policy, together with the
draft Sydney Plan, seek to categorise all industrial land as having either
State, Regional or Local Significance.
The draft Sydney Plan and future State Land Use Plan are
framed around 7 broad priorities for the metropolitan area – being
Aboriginal Outcomes, Housed, Prosperous, Connected, Resilient, Liveable and
Coordinated. Securing an ongoing pipeline of productive industrial lands
– creating jobs, investment, and innovation while supporting housing
construction.
These high-order priorities are reflective of previous
metropolitan and region plans, and long-standing NSW Government policy in
general. These goals are also largely reflected in Council’s own CSP and
LSPS. As such, Council’s submission proposes general support for the
exhibition material.
Of the exhibited materials, the draft Sydney Plan and its
Technical Appendices are anticipated to have the most significant impact upon
how Council plans for growth and develops its planning instruments. The draft
Sydney Plan outlines 22 actions for councils and 35 actions for the NSW
Government over a 5-year implementation timeframe. Some of the actions for
Council include reviewing local plans to reflect housing targets, providing for
affordable housing, updating LSPSs, and reviewing contributions plans to ensure
these provide for essential infrastructure and are fit-for-purpose. Council is
well-placed to meet the draft Sydney Plan actions and work is already underway
or programmed in respect to several of the actions.
The 5-year housing targets referenced in the draft Sydney
Plan are those that were released in May 2024 and therefore have already been
informing Council work programs in recent times. The housing target for Penrith
LGA is for 8,400 new dwellings to be delivered between 2024 and 2029. Penrith
has a significant pipeline of housing and considerable capacity within its
existing and master planned residential and mixed use zones to respond to this
target. Council is already progressing a significant amount of work providing
for housing growth in our LGA – in particular, plans implementing the St
Marys Town Centre Master Plan are ready to be made, and Council’s Local
Housing Strategy has demonstrated that there is theoretical capacity for up to
32,000 dwellings (within zoned and future master planned precincts), including
in Glenmore Park Stage 3, Orchard Hills North, Sydney Science Park, and the
Penrith City Centre should the dwelling cap be lifted. There is potential for
around 20,000 new dwellings under existing zoned capacity.
Current Situation
Council is already largely consistent with the new strategic
planning approach put forward by the NSW Government, meaning that it is
unlikely to result in major changes to how Council currently plans its City.
Most of the actions in the draft Sydney Plan reflect the continuation of NSW
Government policy that has been developing for a number of years – such
as encouraging more councils to have in place affordable housing contribution
schemes, and encouraging the densification of established neighbourhoods by
enabling more dual occupancies. Across the exhibited documents, some of the
notable changes and implications for Penrith LGA are as follows:
? A new categorisation of
centres: It is proposed to categorise centres into the four-tiers of
‘CBD’, ‘Commercial Centre’, ‘Retail Centre’
and ‘Residential Centre’. The only ‘CBDs’ under the
Sydney Plan are proposed to be Sydney CBD, Greater Parramatta and Bradfield.
The next tier are ‘Commercial Centres’ – including Greater
Penrith, and the likes of Liverpool, Campbelltown, Blacktown and Norwest. St
Marys Town Centre is our only ‘Retail Centre’ – along with
centres like Marsden Park, Katoomba, Rouse Hill, Richmond-Windsor, Fairfield
and Narellan.
? A new categorisation of
industrial lands: It is proposed to categorise industrial land into
‘state’, ‘regional’ and ‘local’
significance. Within our LGA, only the Mamre Road Industrial Precinct is
nominated as state significant. Most of our industrial estates are proposed as
regionally significant, while some smaller pockets of industrial land are
locally significant.
? Removal of District
Plans: The new approach proposes a three-tiered set of plans - State Land Use
Plan, Sydney Plan (i.e. the region plan), and local plans. This moves away from
the previous “six cities” concept that identified Western Sydney as
its own “city” (i.e. the Western Parkland City).
? Five-year implementation
timeframe: While the draft Sydney Plan provides a 20-year vision, its land use
planning actions have a 5-year timeframe. Councils are responsible for 22 of
these actions. The Plan states that actions will be updated periodically.
Council officers have prepared a submission at Attachment 1.
The submission reinforces Council’s commitment to sustainable well
managed urban growth, community involvement in planning, timely infrastructure
delivery and balanced flood planning.
The key matters raised in the submission are summarised as
follows:
? The actions for the NSW
Government within the draft Sydney Plan tend to relate to the writing of new
policies or guidelines and fall under the direct remit of the Department of
Planning, Housing and Infrastructure (DPHI). The submission welcomes a more coordinated,
whole of government approach in the future to support the Plan’s
implementation and ensure planning priorities are met for Sydney –
such as coordinating with other agencies for the direct investment in and
delivery of public transport and social housing, the funding and delivery of
regionally significant infrastructure, or the servicing of critical employment
land.
? The submission calls on
the NSW Government to work with Council to resolve flood planning and
evacuation issues currently over Penrith City Centre, so that planning can
progress for more housing and jobs growth within this existing centre,
supported by transport and infrastructure. Resolving flood planning levels and
evacuation routes for Penrith City Centre and removing the Penrith City Centre
residential dwelling cap (enabled by updated flood policy) are the steps needed
to move planning forward. The submission also seeks clarification in respect to
the Penrith City Centre’s omission from the High Growth Housing
Capacity Map within the draft Sydney Plan and the opportunity to meet with the
NSW Government to further discuss the growth expectations for Penrith.
? Council is well placed to
deliver housing growth for our LGA. To support housing growth, Federal and
State Government investment is required for the timely delivery of
infrastructure and facilities that are beyond Council’s control or
capacity. The submission calls on the NSW Government to work with all councils
on the timely provision of infrastructure – especially quality roads,
public transport, and community facilities.
? Requesting that the NSW
Government work closely with all councils to enable them to implement
the Sydney Plan actions and undertake planning reviews in accordance with Council
led timeframes. Council’s work programs have already anticipated many
of these actions and Council is well-placed to meet them. Given there is no
additional resourcing offered, we are calling on the NSW Government to allow
each council to undertake the necessary work in accordance with timeframes that
suit each council - reflecting their existing works programs, capacities and
deep understanding of local issues and priorities.
? Ensuring that the
relationship of the State Land Use Plan and Sydney Plan to our Community
Strategic Plan is two-way - to ensure the needs of local communities are
appropriately considered and valued within the planning process. The submission
asks that this reciprocal, 'top-down' and 'bottom-up' approach be reflected in
any language used to describe the relationship of the new plans to CSPs.
? The draft Sydney Plan
makes no reference to Health and Education Precincts. This is a
departure from the previous metropolitan region and district plans that
recognised Greater Penrith (i.e. The Quarter) as being a Health and Education
Precinct. The submission asks for the continued recognition of Health and
Education Precincts, especially given Council’s structure planning for
Kingswood-Werrington is underway to strengthen the synergies between the
hospitals, tertiary institutions and industry in that precinct.
? Council’s
submission takes the opportunity to advocate for a number of priorities
important to support the projected growth of the City aligned with
Council’s Advocacy Strategy 2025, such as the need for delivery of a
full-length Sydney Metro line from Tallawong in the north to Macarthur in the
south, progression of a masterplan and funding for Penrith Lakes, the planning
and opening of Fernhill Estate for greater community use, and delivering the
Castlereagh Connection as an additional regional evacuation route.
? The draft Sydney Plan proposes
a draft ‘Urban Footprint’, signalling where urban expansion will be
contained and where rural areas will be safeguarded to allow for productive
uses. The exhibited material indicates that more work will be done by the NSW
Government in developing this mapping. In the meantime, Council’s
submission calls for this mapping to reflect Council’s Rural Lands
Strategy (RLS), Local Housing Strategy (LHS) and associated work, which were
developed through extensive community consultation.
? The structure of the
draft Sydney Plan relies heavily on spatial mapping. For example, the
maps depict areas of employment land, industrial land, high growth residential
capacity, and open space. Our submission recommends several corrections or
adjustments to the mapping.
? Several clarifications or
potential refinements are suggested in our submission in relation to the series
of technical appendices being exhibited. For instance, Council has
recommended clarifications and greater detail in respect to the flood planning
principles. The exhibition material explains that the appendices are intended
to provide the NSW Government with a modular structure that allows components
to be updated separately and quickly, without full document revisions. Our
submission conveys the importance of updates being separately exhibited and
submissions being considered to support engagement and input from community and
stakeholders.
? The exhibition material
includes a Discussion Paper outlining the NSW Government’s New Approach
to Strategic Planning. This Paper references the development and future
release of a ‘State Land Use Plan’ without much detail as to
specific content or expected timing. As such, the submission recommends
that the State Land Use Plan be separately exhibited for comment once
developed.
? The draft Statewide
Policy for Industrial Lands proposes to categorise all industrial land as
having either local, regional or state significance. Council’s
submission asks for further clarity in respect to the different categorisations
and what this may mean for the control, planning and infrastructure funding of
industrial precincts.
? Council’s
submission also raises general questions, suggestions, corrections and
clarifications in respect to aspects of the exhibited material. For
example, seeking the definition of specific terms used in the flood planning
principles.
Across all of these matters, Council’s submission
calls for ongoing consultation with councils and the community, particularly as
changes in strategic planning policy have the potential to significantly impact
the way people live, work and move about our city every day. The submission
commits to working closely with the NSW Government to develop plans and
policies that are fit for purpose and deliver on Council’s CSP and LSPS
commitments.
Financial Implications
There are no direct financial implications for Council
associated with making this submission. More generally, the submission calls
for funding by the Federal and State Government toward critical infrastructure
and facilities to meet the needs of our growing population.
Risk Implications
If Council does not provide a submission to this
consultation, the risk is that Council’s concerns and comments will not
be fully understood and considered in the Government’s development of the
new State Land Use Plan, Region Plan and associated policies which will guide
planning for Sydney over the next 20 years.
Conclusion
Council’s submission on the NSW Government’s
draft Sydney Plan, New Approach to Strategic Planning Discussion Paper, and
Statewide Industrial Lands Policy supports the intention of the proposed
documents and makes comments to strengthen the proposed new planning approach
and outcomes that reflect the context and opportunities in Penrith and Western
Sydney. Council is already largely consistent with the new strategic planning
approach put forward by the NSW Government, meaning that it is unlikely to
result in major changes to how Council currently plans its City.
The submission raises the opportunity for more detail in the
Sydney plan to inform future land use planning and that a whole of government
approach will be required for successful implementation. We raise concerns
regarding the housing growth attributed to the Penrith City Centre and that
resolving flood planning and evacuation issues and the Penrith City Centre
dwelling cap is critical so planning can progress. The submission also calls on
the NSW Government to work with all councils on the timely provision of
infrastructure, ensuring appropriately funded and sequenced infrastructure
delivery. Further it asks the NSW Government to work closely with all councils
to allow each to implement the actions and undertake planning reviews in
accordance with timeframes that suit each council. Of key importance,
Council’s submission calls for ongoing consultation with councils and the
community, particularly as changes in strategic planning policy have the
potential to significantly impact the way people live, work and move about our
city every day. The submission commits to working closely with the NSW
Government to develop plans and policies that are fit for purpose and deliver
on Council’s CSP and LSPS commitments.
It is recommended that Council endorse the submission at
Attachment 1. Should Council endorse the submission, it will be submitted to
the NSW Government by 27 February 2026. Councillors will continue to be updated
on matters relating to new State and Region Plans as more information becomes
available.
RECOMMENDATION
That:
1. The
information contained in the report on Draft submission in response to the NSW
Government's Draft Sydney Plan, New Approach to Strategic Planning Discussion
Paper and draft Statewide Industrial Lands Policy be received.
2. Council
endorse the submission at Attachment 1 for submission to the NSW
Government’s Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure (DPHI) by
the closing date on 27 February 2026.
ATTACHMENTS/APPENDICES
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1. ⇩
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Submission - Draft Sydney Plan and Strategic Planning
Approach
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33 Pages
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Attachments Included
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